Pruning My "Crown of Thorns" Bonsai, The Bonsai Zone, Nov 2021

[@lifeguard032590]

I've seen crown of thorns that are 20+ years old, and are 4 feet tall with dozens of untrained branches, I know they'll live over 20 years easily, and judging by what you've accomplished with your tree so far I cannot wait to watch it evolve with you! Beautiful work as always! I have 4 crown of thorns, 2 are 4 years old, and 2 are cuttings from the 25+ year old tree my friends mom has.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thanks, that's exciting to hear! I hope mine does well into the future!

[@marysoldeeley2218]

That's a very neat, thorny plant! My inner Mommy was screaming "Don't put that in your mouth!" You took it out too! LOL

[@CherieChi]

Your Crown of Thorns is really beautiful after learning from nature, super and I love it!!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thank you so much!

[@bentofferings9285]

Great video....I was in tears laughing, watching you eat the leaves at the end. Thanks Nigel.

[@VinnyChirayil]

Those pics of cactus trees you shared in the beginning were an eye opener. It was new to me. Your tree is on the right track, Nigel 👍

[@murray821]

I liked those cactus trees as well! Although most the branches seemed to fan up to the sky. Also a nice style for this species.

[@romino23]

00:35 these look like very young, but very gigantic jade plants..surreal!

[@Ollieslife101]

This video got me to buy a few of these as cuttings I believe can't wait to wait with these succulents

[@fredgrech1498]

Hi Nigel I was so happy to see this. Video I love this tree every time I see it in the green house my eyes go straight to this tree

[@Derrick8WLee]

Hello Nigel, Thanks for indulging my curiosity. Next up bake them like Kale chips. Hahaha

[@PNWBonsai]

Wow what a coincidence! I literally just bought a small Crown of Thorns for my daughter to take care of to give her a little bit of responsibility. Now I may reconsider what we do with it haha

[@craft-o-matic2377]

Wow, this pruning really transformed your "Crown of Thorns" planting. It has a much more elegant flow to it, and I love it! I finally see its potential as a bonsai! Great work Nigel! Lisa

[@-ChrisD]

Wonderful little plant. I like them. Yours looks good in the bonsai pot. Thanks for sharing!

[@danbehrens1621]

I’m only 15 mins in. This tree is so jam packed full of growth. Such small leaves and plentiful flowers. I want one! 🤣 however I’d need to buy some longer shears. Otherwise it’d look like I was wrestling kittens.

[@nexusrnah6418]

Hi there dear Nigel, just enjoying your videos, thank you so much. Euphorbia milii will live very long, I don't think the age would be a problem.

[@reeboze14]

I will definitely grow my crown of thorns propagations as a bonsai now. I can’t wait!

[@andyhansen3117]

Another great video, thanks Nigel!

[@OddBonsai]

It's interesting how the branch structure looks so clutered when viewed from the side but not fromthe top view. This is turning out to be a great bonsai. Your leaf taste test was hilarious :)

[@sumitra1985]

Hi Nigel, seeing your crown of thorn bonsai, I have also started training one of my crown of thorn as bonsai. Previously I treated it as just a flowering plant, but now after 2nd cut, it starts looking like a bonsai :)

[@TheBonsaiZone]

That's great Sumitra!!!!

[@twodogsyyc6729]

Exactly what I needed, some inspiration!! Lol thanks Nigel great tree and video as always take care

[@RyanFish825]

You rock Nigel! I was a little worried about that last baobab leaf, I am however excited for all of mine to leaf out next year so I can try a nice green one now! Always learning on this channel, thanks for all your hard work putting these videos together!

[@danutashayler34]

You are a character, eating those yellowing leaves, professor. Great tutorial. I enjoy the knowledge you share regarding trees. I will take a look again at my young Euphorbia. Thanks from W. Coast

[@davidmikle9097]

Gorgeous

[@dabblingwithbonsai]

Thi tree has grown so much since you started! The miniature flowers are so sweet 😊

[@growclipbonsaiforseniors1951]

Great pruning tutorial. Simply Excellent!!!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thanks Tom, glad you liked it!!

[@patsfreund9164]

Always enjoy seeing you work on this plant. FYI - they never truly develop bark. They generally look like this, just different sizes. They are available in regular and dwarf sizes. The dwarf sizes are used down here in southeast Florida as landscape plants. And, they never lose the spines. There are yellow-flowered varieties. You might enjoy looking up the Thai varieties of Crown of Thorns. They look similar to this plant, but they have very lovely large flowers. They are cultivated for the flowers which are being hybridized in many different colors. (Can't believe you actually ate those leaves on camera! LOL) Where is the kitty?

[@InLakech_AlaKin]

Going where few men have gone before: eating dried up baobab leaves. I've 3 varieties of crown of thorns in the beginning stages. Crimson, yellow and white. Those pictures of the ancient mature succulent trees in the beginning of the video looked fantastic as does you crimson crown of thorns.

[@pattivermeersch7348]

Succulent trees sure are beautiful

[@RosarioCostanzo]

A very natural tree shape. Great work, dear Nigel

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@danbehrens1621]

Oh god Nigel! Don’t eat those old crusty ones! I’ve seen you eat many leaves over the years. And because of that I also sample some of my leaves. I can’t believe you made Nigel eat an old leaf Derek lol. The green ones aren’t lime and yellow lemon.🤣 Also Nigel, every time I see your cutting room floor I think to tell you. My Mom makes wicker baskets. So I made a long flat one I put my cuttings and cast off leaves in. Cuttings to replant on one side and compost fare on the other. I like making stuff with my hands, it was fun to make.

[@katyb2793]

🤣🤣 lime and yellow lemon! 🤣 That's so interesting, making wicker baskets sounds fun! I use an old cardboard box that's heading to the recycling. Definitely not as aesthetic 😆

[@danbehrens1621]

Yeah I went to a class with her years ago to learn how. We were all standing outside waiting for the building to open. I didn’t even think about it when I agreed to go with. But it was allot of Woman. Just before it opened one guy showed up with his wife. I told him “I’m happy you’re here, I was worried I’d be the only guy.” He gave me an apologetic look and said, “ I’m just here to carry stuff in.” Then he left. I spent the whole class with a room full of woman going on about how big and strong my hands were. But it was a fun day with my Mom, and we still make baskets from time to time. lol

[@katyb2793]

@@danbehrens1621 haha what a lovely memory! It seems like a useful skill to know regardless of gender! I wonder if there's tutorials on KZbin? 🤔 I should look it up! I feel the same in my choir. Everyone treats me like their child or grandchild since I'm the only young (ish) one. It has it's perks! I get pretty pampered!

[@danbehrens1621]

@@katyb2793 yeah it’s pretty easy. Just over under over under. lol

[@t3dwards13]

Thank you Sir Nigel! I now have more ideas for my crown of thorns... Which you've inspired me to purchase last year. But I also laughed to myself because it felt like amazon subliminal advertising.

[@GreenhornBonsai]

Love the video, and the pictures of succulent trees! A friend from Florida sent me three different types of Crown of Thorns trees. One has very tiny leaves and is my favorite, another is the Thornless Crown of Thorns, and the third is similar to yours but with yellow flowers.

[@shesothorny9892]

wow this is gorgeous

[@MrEieio44]

I have one that been growing in a big pot for 15 years. I might try turning it in to a bonsai.

[@scheers100]

Thank you for the interesting content and and explanation, like always! 👍👌🌳

[@chesh1rek1tten]

My grandma left me a pretty old crown of thorns, it's about 30 years or older. It's never been properly pruned or anything, just the odd branch breaking off when her housekeeper moved it from indoors to outdoors or back. I'll get you a picture. It's scrawny because no fertilizer, no repotting, no care. But there's a bit of bark on it.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thanks, that would be great to see!!

[@sunilusk]

Namaste Nigel Sir, Interestingly this tree is a secculent type, which need very less water.. but at base we see moss grown aswell, which need nore water and humidity. How you manage growing these both in same pot ??

[@chesh1rek1tten]

I did not know succulents grow like that o.o

[@Ocean_State_Adventures]

Awesome video!!!!! Do you think you might be able to do care videos???

[@BlueYogurtLid]

You inspired me to grow my own! Only I'm trying to grow 3 in one bonsai pot! Mine aren't doing too hot... Would very much appreciate some knowledge: - what kind of fertilizer do you use and how often? - mine is in regular cactus succulent soil (comes in a big bag) is that okay? - bonus question!: How do you get that beautiful Moss at the base!? You're an inspiration thanks, Nigel!

[@nexusrnah6418]

I've seen very gigantic and old ones in person.

[@Neidhard-von-Blaufels]

You can stop the bleeding with a little bit of water.

[@lukasmihara]

Nice experiment there at the end 😁

[@Tybold63]

Oh.. I would love to make something similar but managed to kill two CoT already. It seems they sensitive to transplanting to "bonsai soil" directly when bought being in this commercial pesky peat soil. Maybe should be more patient and repot them only in spring/summer?? May be that I water too little because I am afraid of root rot.

[@karstdeboer4538]

Love the video! Would you happen to have any knowledge on Madagascar Jewel (Euphorbia leuconeura), they are small weird looking trees that might be nice as accent plants for some of your projects, or maybe even try to bonsai them as well (their sap is also very toxic, so beware of that)

[@OliverJazzz]

Very popular old school house plants in these parts, they are pretty when they are nice and small but around 2 yo they quickly get bigger (mine's at least 60 cm wide) and the lovely leaf pattern fades a bit. I'd guess they would grow out of proportion very quickly as accent plants, some keep replacing theirs as house plants too, as they are easy to grow from seed. I just learned that you can prune them, just chop off part of the trunk and it should divide. Mine's too low and wide to begin with, maybe some day... And yes, their sap is really toxic.

[@karstdeboer4538]

Thats really interesting to know that you can prune them like that! Mine is about 6 years old now and hadnt flowered the first 3-4 years so it is still fairly small

[@OliverJazzz]

@@karstdeboer4538 Probably a bit risky though, I mean you never know how they'll decide to grow... :D But I've seen some pictures and they didn't look bad at all, besides some old really leggy and overgrown ones would surely benefit from styling.

[@BlueJayBonsai]

Some of those succulent trees don’t look real! Add them to the bonsai bucket list of places to visit! ✈️🌎

[@NEWCREATIONRaiSantosh]

Hi, Neigal I will also taste my boabeb leaf but I'm thinking it may harmful can I taste it ?🍃 .

[@dominiqueveron7086]

No ‘bark’ on succulents but they ‘cork’. Not sure though if the Euphorbia Milii would cork. Mine never get this gorgeous, a red, a white, a yellow; I need to get a pink. They grow up to 6’ tall.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thanks Dominique, great to know!!

[@jstamps9578]

I learned a lot.

[@ferasi6944]

Will you cut it soon? Last year I watched this vid on my birthday (Dec, 3rd) when I was waiting for my wife in front of a hospital in a very cold car. Afterwards I bought cuttings of this beautiful flowering plant 🌱🌺

[@Putra_mulyadi]

Mantap

[@dkstott29]

It'd be great to see how this plant is doing in 2023.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

It is doing really well, I can't wait to get it out in the sunshine!

[@Dovietail]

I just can't get behind the idea of trimming this species in the fall when it's in the winter that you need the beauty of the foliage and flowers to lift your spirits. Why not trim it back in the early spring when it can bounce back quickly?

[@Dovietail]

I don't know. I'm not on with pruning a tree that bleeds when you cut it.

[@shanymenard4972]

Hi Nigel, the bark of old specimen is interesting : 52f280a881ddbedfad69bf6dda3813e07841a3b3

[@miketabback2635]

It looks like you should leaf the yellow ones alone.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Yes, go green!!

[@MitchellMasilun]

"This will probably taste even worse...Yeah"

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Yeah. You got it!

[@_madr]

Very nice however never try to wire branches on this plant!

[@notbonsai671]

👍👍👍

[@jamesfranklin9855]

Devils BackBone

[@Andrang]

I don't think it's a tree :D at 1:00 mark

[@brucedeacon28]

👍🍎

[@redzepplin7397]

now im gunna hack my crown of thorns!!! thanks

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Nice Red!

[@ms.m6060]

Any updates?

[@PatriciaOConnorBonsaiBalcony]

no wait don't eat that!....

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Progressively worse!

[@eduardoagasid4640]

jt

[@justlucky13]

Foist

[@A10TOES]

Oh my gosh! What have you done! That was beautiful and now is ugly and sickly. No no I don’t like that. Sorry. You have thrown the plant into shock.😭

[@TheBonsaiZone]

It looks awesome once again!!

[@A10TOES]

@@TheBonsaiZone thanks but you must show me. I’d be so afraid to do that with mine, afraid I’d kill it.

[@twodogsyyc6729]

Exactly what I needed, some inspiration!! Lol thanks Nigel great tree and video as always take care